To receive any announcements from the Chairman and any matters of communication.

The Chairman advised the meeting that the order of business for the planning applications would be as follows:

Items 10, 7, 6, 8, 9.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meetings of the Development Management Committee held on 28 February 2018 and

28 March 2018 (copies to follow).

RESOLVED

that the minutes of the meeting of the Development Management Committee held on the 28 February 2018 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To receive from Members any declarations of interest including membership of any Parish/Town Council consulted upon during the planning application process and the way in which a Member cast his/her vote.

To consider the report of the Director of Regeneration and Business which provides a monthly update of planning enforcement cases where action has been taken.

The Chairman advised Members to raise any issues they might have with regard to the planning enforcement cases with the Planning Enforcement and Appeals Team Leader.

Address:       Franklin House, Brewers Hill Road, Dunstable, LU6 1UU

REG 3: Change of use from Care Home (formerly known as Greenacre) to temporary accommodation for homeless people (shared facilities).

Applicant:     Central Bedfordshire Council

The Chairman referred Members to the Late Sheet which contained a recommendation that consideration of Planning Application No. CB/18/00615/REG3 for the change of use from a Care Home (formally known as Greenacre) to temporary accommodation for homeless people (shared facilities) at Franklin House, Brewers Hill Road, Dunstable, LU6 1UU be deferred.

The Chairman felt that it would be unwise to proceed given that members of the public who had made representations on the application had not been informed of the Committee’s meeting nor of their opportunity to attend and speak on the application.

On being put to the vote it was unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED

that Planning Application No. CB/18/00615/REG3 relating to the change of use from a Care Home (formally known as Greenacre) to temporary accommodation for homeless people (shared facilities) at Franklin House, Brewers Hill, Dunstable, LU6 1UU, be deferred one cycle.

Address:       Land adj 129A and 131 Clophill Road, Maulden, Bedford,

MK45 2AE

Erection of 25 dwellings with roads and sewers.

Applicant:     Messrs D,M,S & Miss L Humphries

The Committee had before it a report regarding Planning Application No. CB/17/04583/OUT, an outline application for the erection of 25 dwellings with roads and sewers at land adjacent to 129A and 131 Clophill Road, Maulden, MK45 2AE.

In advance of consideration of the application the Committee’s attention was drawn to additional comments and additional/amended conditions as set out in the Late Sheet.

In advance of consideration of the application the Committee received representations from Maulden Parish Council, an objector and the agent for the applicant under the public participation scheme.

In response to the objector’s concerns about the location of social housing blocks and parking, the Chairman explained that the application was for outline purposes and that approval was only being sought for the principle of the development and its access. If Members did approve the application, the applicant would have to return with a Reserve Matters application which would deal with the proposed layout of the dwellings and the objector would have opportunity to make any objections at that time.  In response to the objector’s comment the Chairman explained that the site layout before the Committee was indicative only and the Committee could not, therefore, take it into account as part of the current application.  Following comment by the objector with regard to future consultation the Chairman stated that if the current application was approved, and when the Reserved Matters application was submitted, the objector would be notified. The objector added that he was not notified about the Committee meeting and had been omitted from the circulation.  The Chairman assured the objector that the officers would have noted that point and would make sure that he was notified. 

A Member drew the objector’s attention to the Late Sheet and read out a new recommended decision which set out the requirement for a scheme to be submitted for the provision of affordable housing and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme would include the type, size, tenure mix and location on the site of the affordable housing provision. The Member stated that it gave the officers the opportunity to indicate certain requirements such as type, location and height.  He added that the issues raised by the objector could be taken care of through the scheme.  The objector stated that the recommended conditions coincided broadly with his own but he emphasised the need to take into account the detrimental impact of placing a two or three storey building next to a bungalow.  The result of doing so could already be seen on Clophill Road.

A ward Member reminded the meeting that the application site abutted Maulden Wood, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the highest land designation found in Central Bedfordshire aside from a small piece of land found towards Caddington that fell within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).  He stated that any adjacent development to the SSSI would damage its biodiversity.  Further, the Wood was within the Greensand Ridge Nature Improvement Area, of which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Address:       Woodlands Nurseries, Biggleswade Road, Upper Caldecote, Biggleswade, SG18 9BJ

Outline application for new plant production unit and access road and enabling commercial development (B1/B2/B8) of up to 9,275sqm and residential development of up to 35 dwellings.

Applicant:     Chessum Plants

The Committee had before it a report regarding Planning Application CB/17/04476/OUT, an outline application for a new plant production unit and access road and enabling commercial development (B1/B2/B3) of up to 9275sqm and residential development of up to 35 dwellings at Woodlands Nurseries, Biggleswade Road, Upper Caldecote, Biggleswade, SG18 9BJ.

In advance of consideration of the application the Committee’s attention was drawn to additional consultation/publicity responses, additional comments and additional/amended conditions as set out in the Late Sheet.  The planning officer also advised of the receipt of comments from Highways England which had arrived late yesterday after the publication of the Late Sheet.  Highways England had raised no objection to the application but had recommended the inclusion of certain conditions.  The planning officer stated that the conditions were almost the same as those set out in the Late Sheet.

In advance of consideration of the application the Committee received representations from Northill Parish Council and the applicant under the public participation scheme.

(Note: At this point in the proceedings Councillor Firth, as the ward Member, withdrew from the seating allocated to Members of the Committee and sat at the seat allocated to public speakers to address the meeting).

The ward Member acknowledged that a previous application for up to 40 dwellings had been refused but approval had already been given for 15 dwellings through an earlier permission and the application would, in effect, increase this by a further 20.  He stated that the application for up to 40 dwellings had been refused because the development site lay outside the settlement envelope.  However, he felt the site was sustainable with a regular bus service running between Biggleswade and Bedford along the Biggleswade Road and, approximately ¾ mile away along Biggleswade Road was a shop.  He concluded by stating that he supported the application and asked the Committee to do so as well.

(Note: Councillor Firth left the meeting at this point and took no further part in the debate or in the vote on this item).

The Committee considered the application and in summary discussed the following:

·         A Member’s comment that, whilst he understood the reluctance to use the site for a residential development, the application before the meeting was for a more modest number of dwellings than had been applied for previously.  Further, it had been shown how the overall development would be sustainable, create employment and be a better use of the site.

On being put to the vote 11 Members voted for approval, 0 voted against and 1 abstained.

RESOLVED

that Planning Application No. CB/17/04476/OUT relating to Woodlands Nurseries, Biggleswade Road, Upper Caldecote, Biggleswade, SG18 9BJ be approved as set out in the Schedule attached to these minutes.

Address:       Staples Wholesale Nursery, Fordfield Road, Millbrook, Bedford, MK45 2HZ

Change of use of land from garden centre, to a Sui Generis use for the storage, refurbishment and hire of temporary and portable buildings, including erection of office, workshop and formation of open storage area, parking, improvements to access and landscaping, following the demolition of existing structures.

Applicant:     Forte Developments

The Committee had before it a report regarding Planning Application CB/17/05480/FULL for the change of use of land from a garden centre to a Sui Generis use of temporary and portable buildings, including erection of office, workshop and formation of open storage area, parking improvements to access and landscaping, following demolition of existing structures on Staples Wholesale Nursery, Fordfield Road, Millbrook, Bedford, MK45 2HZ.

In advance of consideration of the application the Committee’s attention was drawn to additional/publicity responses, additional comments and an additional informative as set out in the Late Sheet.

In advance of consideration of the application the Committee received a representation from the applicant under the public participation scheme.

A Member sought clarification from the applicant regarding the extra number of Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) movements from his company’s other depots to compensate for the current lack of a suitable depot site in the Ampthill area to service their market and what number of HGV movements could be expected from the application site.  In response the applicant stated that, on average, there four HGV movements a day from the application site although this might not occur every day and would certainly be no more than was experienced at the existing depot.  He added that the figure excluded other vehicle movements such as those by vans.

The Chairman asked for clarification on how certain the envisaged increase in employment was.  In response the applicant stated that the increase was extremely certain as some of the companies surrounding depots were using their own labour to provide buildings for the Ampthill area and this was putting those depots under strain.  They were not able to fulfil all of the orders that they could take.

The company’s market position as a major supplier and a recent agreement with a customer clearly indicated that there were additional opportunities for the growth of the Ampthill depot.  However, there was insufficient capacity on the existing site.

The Chairman next asked the applicant to indicate what other sites within the Ampthill area they had considered.  In reply the applicant stated that no sites had been looked at because none had been available.  He also made clear that it was not question of price when looking at sites.   The company had been searching for a replacement depot site for over four years with agents searching within a 15 mile radius and nothing suitable had been found.  He referred to the conclusion reached by the Business Investment Officers which confirmed that.

Following a further query by the Chairman the applicant confirmed the action taken to attempt to secure alternative premises and the failure to locate a site apart from that before the Committee.  He stressed that it was not a question of price as the company would pay whatever the relevant value was within the area.  The Chairman commented that he would have expected the Council’s economic development officers to have assisted with the finding of an alternative site for a depot if they could have done  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Address:       61 Hitchin Street, Biggleswade, SG18 8BE

Change of use of ground floor restaurant (No. 61) and vacant (former) undertaker (No 63) into residential dwellings. 2No. existing first floor apartments to remain as existing.  Associated elevational alterations.

Applicant:     Baystrait Properties Ltd

The Committee had before it a report regarding Planning Application CB/17/04479/FULL for a change of use of ground floor restaurant (no.61) and vacant (former) undertaker (no.63) into residential dwellings. 2 no. existing first floor apartments to remain as existing at 61 Hitchin Street, Biggleswade, SG18 8BE.

In advance of consideration of the application the Committee’s attention was drawn to additional/publicity responses as set out in the Late Sheet.  In addition the planning officer read out additional information that she had received from the applicant setting out the terms under which the tenant of the ground floor Indian restaurant had agreed to surrender his lease, vacate the premises and withdraw his objection to the application.  The Committee noted that the tenant was to relocate elsewhere within Biggleswade.

The planning officer also informed the meeting that she had received a letter from the owner of the Indian restaurant stating that the latter had now withdrawn his objection to the application.

No representations were received by the Committee under the public participation scheme.

The Chairman reported that the application had been called in by a ward Member who was unable to attend the meeting due to work commitments.  However, at the ward Member’s request, the Chairman read out the reasons supplied by the ward Member in support of refusing the application.  The Chairman then raised the issue of why some planning applications were called in by Members, the reasons used to justify doing so and their validity.  He suggested that the rules regarding the calling in of applications should be made clear at the next meeting of the Committee, which was the first in the new municipal year.

The Committee considered the application and in summary discussed the following:

·         A Member stated that he had no issue with the application in principle.  He referred to the usual stance taken by the Biggleswade Chamber of Trade on the loss of retail business in the town and expressed relief that the applicant had compensated the existing tenant and that the tenant had found alternative premises.

On being put to the vote 11 Members voted for approval, 0 voted against and 1 abstained.

RESOLVED

that Planning Application No. CB/17/04479/FULL relating to 61 Hitchin Street, Biggleswade, SG18 8BE be approved as set out in the Schedule attached to these minutes.

To receive and note, prior to considering the planning applications contained in the schedules above, any additional information detailed in the Late Sheet to be circulated on 24 April 2018.

In advance of consideration of the planning applications attached to the agenda the Committee received a Late Sheet advising it of additional consultation/publicity responses, comments and proposed additional/amended conditions. A copy of the Late Sheet is attached as an appendix to these minutes.

Under the provisions of the Members Planning Code of Good Practice, Members are requested to note that the next Development Management Committee will be held on 23 May 2018 and the Site Inspections will be undertaken on 21 May 2018.

NOTED

that the next meeting of the Development Management Committee will be held on 23 May 2018.

RESOLVED

that all Members and substitute Members along with the relevant ward representatives be invited to conduct site inspections on 21 May 2018.